The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dianthus that is grown for use as a flowering plant for pots and containers and as a hardy perennial for the garden and landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthus×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘AMANDA’.
‘AMANDA’ is a complex hybrid plant that is the product of a long term breeding program conducted in a greenhouse environment in Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The primary focus of the breeding program is to produce new cultivars of Dianthus that exhibit unique growth habit and colors. The inventor selected ‘AMANDA’ in 2002 for the color combination of its flowers. ‘AMANDA’ exhibits a compact habit, grey-green fine foliage, and semi-double flowers that are plum colored with a darker center.
‘AMANDA’ resulted from the controlled pollination between Dianthus code name ‘Whet30’ as female parent, and Dianthus code name ‘Whet26’ as male parent. Both parents have been raised by the inventor but have not been released or patented.
‘AMANDA’ is distinguishable from its parents, both of which have single flowers whereas the flowers of ‘AMANDA’ are semi-double.
The variety of Dianthus which is considered by the inventor to most closely resemble ‘AMANDA’ is the semi-double flowered Dianthus ‘Devon Flores’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,731) whose flowers are magenta-purple in color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor in 2002 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was vegetative cuttings. Since that time the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.